Aging Like Fine Wine: The Blue Zone Lifestyle

Hey, when I searched for common wellness concepts like Ikigai and Kaizen, one common name that came up was Okinawa. Okinawa in Japan holds most of the wellness practices. From Okinawa to Blue Zones—I didn’t know this concept before. This is what I found:

The Blue Zones are considered some geographical areas of the world where people live the longest in comparison to other areas. Dan Buettner is an author, National Geographic Fellow, and explorer who coined this term. The name was simply given because he and his team were marking these places on the map with blue marks and then named the overall zones as ‘Blue Zones.’

Similar to me, Dan Buettner also found the centenarians while exploring Okinawa. In the last decade, he has dedicated himself to finding out the secrets of long-living people all over the world. Blue Zones mainly consist of five places: Icaria, Greece; Okinawa, Japan; Loma Linda, United States; Sardinia, Italy; and Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica.

Okinawa: Ikigai (Purpose of life), Shukanka, Yuimaru
Loma Linda: Known for Seventh-day Adventists. Strong sense of belonging to a religion.
Icaria: Saga-saga (strong community bonding), almost free from dementia.
Sardinia: Replaced cow milk with goat milk, famous for Cannonau red wine.
Nicoya Peninsula: Plan de Vida (same as Ikigai).

Though there are different lifestyles and traditions among the people of these areas, there are nine common factors among them that are called Power 9.

1. Physical movement: Not rigorous exercises, just daily continuous movement through activities.

2. Purpose of life: Finding what makes life worth living.

3. Stress management: Learning healthy coping mechanisms like meditation, walking, and relaxation techniques.

4. 80% rule of eating or Hara Hachi Bu: Stop eating when you’re 80% full.

5. Plant-based diet: Mostly beans, soy, lentils, vegetables, and nuts. Moderate meat intake (5 times a month).

6. Moderate wine consumption: Daily one to two glasses of wine, not more than that.

7. Belonging: Being part of a community or having a strong religious faith.

8. Family-first principle: Prioritizing family and close relationships above all else.

9. Close social circle: Having a strong circle of camaraderie for mental and other support.

Though the popularity of Blue Zones has peaked through news articles, books, and Netflix documentaries, criticisms include a lack of reliable records, errors in data, and marketing motives.

Whatever the faults or information gaps, some healthy tips here are worth following.

Let’s chat another day!

Thanks,
Jessie